For more than a while now, artists from New Zealand have been producing roots music of a quality and in a quantity entirely out of proportion with the size of the population of the land of the long white cloud. But back before Fat Freddys Drop, Shapeshifter and The Black Seeds blew up, back before Flight of the Conchords, we had Christchurch duo Pitch Black making world-class dub-tronica – and they still are. Michael Hodgson and Paddy Free (who also produces and tours with Salmonella Dub) have been releasing music since 1999, and Rhythm, Sound and Movement sees them continue their tradition of releasing remix albums – in this case a collection of reworked tracks from their 2007 album Rude Mechanicals. Never ones to be tied to a particular genre, this album traverses Different Drummer style digi-dub, ambient electronica, dn’b and even dubstep. However, regardless of the remix style chosen, the tracks all retain the depth and texture for which Pitch Black are renowned.

The album opens in fine style with the International Observer remix of 1000 Mile Drift. International Observer is Tom Bailey (formerly of The Thompson Twins), and fans of the Different Drummer label will know exactly what to expect – exquisite, spacey digi-dub, with bass that is felt as much as heard. Melbournians Deep Fried Dub take on Transient Transmissions, adding some Augustus Pablo like melodica and imbuing the track with a light-hearted skank not present in the original. Bird Soul, an epic ambient track in its original form, is given a work-over in a dubstep fashion by Fold and Horace, replete with bass wobble and stabbing snares. Subtone present a different vision of the same track, taking it into drum n’ bass territory. Both versions are good, and both are very different from the original.

Neon Stereo, who calls Ministry of Sound home and boasts remixes for the likes of Deadmau5, Steve Angello and Andy Caldwell among his achievements, gives Harmonia a decidedly dancey feel. In contrast, the Rob Remix of the same track has a much more sinister feel and stays a little truer to the original. Californians Groove Yantra produce what may be the most interesting remix on the album, bringing their ethno-electronic-psy-dub take on Fragile Ladders. With its mix of twanging guitar, piano and various weird noises, this really is a gorgeous remix.

The aim of the remix albums that Pitch Black release seems to be to present as wide a range of interpretations as possible. In this way, the result is more than just a cheap way to produce a new album, it’s an exciting and engaging album that stands on it’s own. Rhythm, Sound and Movement is a stellar release.